Philadelphia Personal Injury Law Blog

In August 2008, a Pennsylvania woman sought treatment for her and her unborn baby at a medical center in Pottstown after she began to experience some complications during her pregnancy. Shortly after arriving at the hospital, an ultrasound was performed to check the condition of woman's baby. Sadly, the physician who performed the ultrasound said that no heartbeat was found and that the unborn baby had died.

The news must have been devastating for the mother to hear. Perhaps she even questioned whether her baby would still be alive had she made it to the hospital sooner. However, when a second ultrasound was performed at the hospital, staff reported that a heartbeat was found and that the baby was still alive. An emergency cesarean section was immediately performed, but because so much time had passed while the baby was in distress, the child suffered a debilitating birth injury.

If you hurt your back while working at a construction site in Philadelphia, or fall while walking into your office building and suffer a head injury, you may be eligible for workers' compensation benefits. You clearly sustained a work-related injury so all you need to do is file a claim and you will receive the benefits you need and deserve, right?

Unfortunately, workers' compensation laws in Pennsylvania are complex, and sometimes employers will attempt to minimize the costs of an injured worker's claim by denying or appealing a claim. When employers and insurance companies make it difficult for employees to get the benefits they need, they not only make it more difficult for an injured worker to focus on recovering, but the process also becomes more costly for the employee who is already in need of medical benefits, wage-loss benefits, or even disability benefits.

There is some good news, though, if your employer attempts to fight your benefits claim. Under Pennsylvania law, employers may be responsible for paying for an injured worker's attorney fees if the employer "unreasonably" contests an employee's workers' compensation claim

As we mentioned earlier this year on our Philadelphia personal injury law blog, several former National Football League players had filed a personal injury lawsuit over the summer against the NFL claiming that the league failed to warn players about the dangers of concussions.

The lawsuit contends that the NFL knew about the risk of developing traumatic brain injuries and neurodegenerative disorders after sustaining multiple concussions on the field, yet the league failed to educate its players about properly treating concussions and preventing future concussions that could cause permanent damage.

As of last week, a total of 61 lawsuits with similar allegations have been filed by more than 1,200 former football players and their wives against the NFL. Many of these lawsuits have been consolidated to be reviewed by a Philadelphia judge. Sadly, the lead plaintiff in one of these lawsuits will not be around to learn whether or not the NFL will be held accountable for its alleged negligence. The plaintiff, Ray Easterling, killed himself last week. His wife and attorney are now claiming that in addition to causing Easterling to suffer serious brain injuries, the NFL is now responsible for his wrongful death.

When you hear about someone being injured in a truck accident in Philadelphia, you might assume that the victim's injuries are serious. A tractor-trailer traveling at a high rate of speed on the highway could all too easily crush a passenger vehicle in the event of a collision.

However, unsafe trucks and inadequately trained drivers can also cause others to suffer serious injuries or a wrongful death when there is no physical collision between a truck and a passenger vehicle. A truck driver could make an improper lane change, cutting off another driver and causing the motorist to lose control of his or her vehicle on the highway. A trucking firm could fail to repair a part on a tractor-trailer, causing parts to fly off of the truck while traveling on the road. Or in a recent incident involving a suburban Philadelphia woman, a large truck could hit a road sign, sending the sign flying into the windshield of another motorist's vehicle.